Pakistan Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research Series A: Physical Sciences

Adsorption of Aqueous Phosphate by Thermally Aged MgFe Layered Double Hydroxides: Kinetics and Characterizations

Atin Nuryadin — 2025-07-07

In layered double hydroxides (LDH) synthesis, calcination increasingly attracts attention because it increases adsorption capacity. Despite this, since the calcination process caused the layers of LDH to be disordered, the thermal treatment process used to improve LDH crystallinity before calcination seems unnecessary. This study elucidates the effect of thermal aging on the phosphate adsorption ability of MgFe- LDH which was previously unexplained. Uncalcined and calcined MgFe-LDH adsorbents with different Mg/Fe molar ratios (2-4) were prepared by co-precipitation. Thermally aged and calcined MgFe-LDH with an Mg/Fe ratio of 3 showed the most effective adsorption. The pseudo-second-order model provided the best description of the kinetic adsorption data. XRD analysis showed that thermal aging improves the crystallinity of MgFe-LDH before calcination, which results in high adsorption of LDH after calcination because it leads to better reconstruction possibility. This study provides additional insight into the preparation of the Mg-Fe-LDH for water phosphate removal.

An Investigation of Heavy Metal Content in Commercially Available Powdered Spices and Recipe Mixes in Karachi

Marium Nasir — 2025-07-07

In Pakistani cuisine, there is a broad usage of commercially available powdered spices to enhance aroma and flavour of the food, most of Pakistanis use commercially available powder spices both branded and un-branded. The branded powder spices and recipe mix powder spices are available in aluminum laminated bags that enclosed in cardboard boxes whereas the un-branded powder spices and recipe mix powders are packed in polyethene bags. The recent study to examine the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Cd and Pb) in sixteen samples of spices and recipe mix powders that were purchased from local markets and super stores located in Karachi city of Pakistan. Each sample was first digested by wet digestion and then the levels of heavy metals in samples were analyzed through flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). The data obtained was then compared with the permissible limits and recommended by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) for the samples studied. The average concentrations of heavy metals as Cu ranges from (0.0345-0.345) ppm, Fe ranges from (0.242-5.76) ppm, Ni ranges from (0-1.653) ppm, Pb ranges from (0-3.221) ppm, Co ranges from (0.05-1.529) ppm, Cd ranges from (0-0.551) ppm, Mn detected in the range of (1.195- 7.018) ppm and As detected in the range from (0-0.005) ppm. The order of maximum level of heavy metals detected in spice samples are Mn>Fe>Pb>Ni>Co>Cu>Cd>As. Most of these values are within the maximum permissible limits as recommended by FAO/WHO and can be considered acceptable for all the samples studied, while in a few samples the levels of certain heavy metals are exceeding the allowable limits by FAO and WHO.

Optimization and Mechanistic Insights for Methyl Orange Adsorption Using Na2CO3 Activated Puffed Rice Biochar

Muhammad Saidur Rahman — 2025-07-08

This research investigated the efficient removal of methyl orange (MO) from water sources through the utilization of activated carbons derived from puffed rice and activated with.....................................................activated puffed rice biochar is an environmentally benign and cost-effective approach for removing MO colour from wastewater.

Synthesis of Metallic Oxide Nanoparticles Using Cymbopogon citratus Through Conventional Sol-gel Method

Ambreen Shah — 2025-07-08

Metallic oxide nanoparticles are synthesized through various methods for research and commercial purposes, with significant improvements observed over time. The sol-gel process is among the chemical methods employed for nanoparticle synthesis. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) was selected for synthesizing metallic nanoparticles using acetate salts of copper, cobalt and magnesium through the conventional sol-gel method. This technique is relatively new for direct nanoparticle synthesis. The nanoparticles have undergone characterization using various spectroscopic techniques (FT-IR, UV/Vis, SEM, EDS), along with the addition of their antibacterial activities. The EDS spectra have been confirmed through EDS mapping for all nanoparticles. The antibacterial activities of these nanoparticles have also exhibited a positive response to E. coli bacteria, revealing clear zones of inhibition against the tested micro- organisms.

Formulation, Characterization and Evaluation of Sustained Release Matrix Tablet of Antiemetic Agent

Ram Dnyaneshwar Bawankar — 2025-07-08

A sustained release matrix tablet of ondansetron HCl was prepared by the direct compression method using eudragit RL 100 and eudragit RS 100 with reduced dose, dosing frequency, improved bioavailability and prolonged release of the drug. Pre-compression and post-compression parameters were found to be uniform with their low standard deviation values. The similar characteristics of the IR peaks with few alterations observed in the spectra of the mixture of drugs and polymers and the uniform dispersion of the drug in an amorphous form in the tablets were revealed from the DSC thermogram, indicating the chemical stability of the drug. The in vitro drug release study in 0.1 N HCl, pH 1.2 for 2 h and remaining in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 indicated that the prepared tablets were capable of releasing drugs upto 12 h in the formulations F4 to F6 releasing drugs early, this might be due to using eudragit RL 100 polymer which is relatively more hydrophilic than eudragit RS 100. Among all the formulations, the F7 formulation was optimized as having sustained release properties and released 92.89% at the end of the 12 h from all nine (F1-F9) formulations. The optimized F7 batch showed no significant changes when subjected to stability at 40±20 °C temperature and relative humidity 75±5% for three months.

Preliminary Study on the Role of Medicinal Plant Tinospora cordifolia in Reducing Bacterial Load from Human Hand

Salah Ud Din — 2025-07-08

Excessive and unregulated application of antimicrobial agents stands at the forefront as the major instigator for the development of bacterial strains exhibiting resistance to multiple drugs, commonly referred to as multi-drug resistance (MDR). In addition, synthetic drugs are more expensive for the treatment of diseases. Additionally, the cost of using synthetic medications to treat illnesses is much higher. Therefore, in order to control microbial infections, new infection-fighting techniques must be developed. The study was planned to evaluate the role of Tinospora cordifolia against various bacterial strains. In total of 500 samples were collected randomly from people working in university of Swabi and tested for presence of bacterial load. Three bacterial strains were isolated i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The anti-bacterial profile of isolated strains was determined using Ciprofloxacin, Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol and Amoxicillin. The activity Tinospora cordifolia was evaluated against antibiotic resistant bacterial strains which showed inhibitory activity against various multi-drug resistance bacterial strains and these results were compared with already available antibiotics. The results of antibiotic profiling showed that the Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline were most efficient against all strains with a largest zone of inhibition followed by Chloramphenicol while Erythromycin, Ampicillin and Amoxicillin show no zones of inhibition. Whereas the activity of the medicinal plant extract of Tinospora cordifolia showed inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. It is concluded that the Tinospora cordifolia have antibacterial potential and uphold its replacement with of commonly used antibiotic drugs.

Symmetric Surface State for TM Polarised Mode at Air Semiconductor Photonic Hypercrystal Interface

Hasnain Haider — 2025-07-08

It is theoretically examined whether electromagnetic surface waves manifest at the interface between air and photonic hypercrystals for the transverse magnetic polarisation mode (TM). Photonic hypercrystals are created by arranging HMMs into periodic photonic crystal. It is found that the studied surface waves have modest losses and are symmetric with respect to the positive and negative directions of surface propagation. The relationship between these waves and the hyperbolic metamaterial layers filling factor and the crystal itself is developed by curve graphing.

Reduced Differential Transform Method for Solving Modified- Log Payoff Function of European Style Call Option Model

Sunday Emmanuel Fadugba — 2025-07-08

This study introduces the Reduced Differential Transform Method (RDTM) as a novel and efficient approach for solving the European Style Call Option Model (ESCOM) using the Modified Log- Payoff Function (MLPF). It begins with a comprehensive overview of RDTM, including its theoretical framework, inverse operation and fundamental properties. A detailed analysis of RDTM’s methodology follows, highlighting its advantages in simplifying complex financial models. The study then focuses on transforming the governing model for ESCOM with MLPF into a standard heat-like equation. This critical transformation enables the application of RDTM to effectively solve the simplified equation. The process of deriving the standard heat like equation from the original ESCOM with MLPF is meticulously detailed, showcasing the method’s robustness and precision. RDTM is applied to solve the standard heat-like equation, resulting in a valuation formula for ESCOM with MLPF. This formula serves as a practical tool for financial analysts and researchers in option pricing. The study includes an extensive evaluation of RDTM’s suitability, effectiveness and accuracy in solving ESCOM with MLPF by testing various selected parameters against the fundamental analytical formula. The results demonstrate the method’s reliability and precision. In conclusion, this work underscores RDTM’s potential as a powerful and versatile tool for financial modeling and option pricing. The findings indicate that RDTM simplifies the computational process and enhances the accuracy of solutions, making it an asset for financial analysts and researchers.

Fractional Differential Equations and Chebyshev Polynomials and Their Numerical Solution

Mariam Al Mahdi Mohammed Mulla — 2025-07-08

In this paper we present an advanced set of polynomials that can be generalized to Chebyshev polynomials. Some basic properties of Chebyshev polynomials and their variables, as well as formulas related to generalized polynomials, will be presented. Orthogonal polynomials are used to solve linear polynomial fractional differential equations (FDEs) which arise from many applications. The proposed algorithm was deduced using a novel method of the power formula for Chebyshev polynomials and the Galerkin formula. The method transforms FDE differential equations with initial or boundary conditions into a system of linear equations that can be solved efficiently and accurately by solving the appropriate numerical solution. The paper includes some examples and comparisons with other methods to prove the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed algorithm

Seismicity Rate and Radiated Energy of Earthquakes in Parts of the African Plate

Abong Augustine Agwul — 2025-07-08

The occurrence of earthquakes and radiated energy in parts of the African plate were evaluated. The data for this study were extracted from the International Seismological Centre (ISC) earthquake catalogue. The data were analysed using seismicity rate, radiated energy model and Gutenberg - Richter's relationship. The findings of the study revealed that seismicity rate in all the regions of Africa under study varies arbitrarily with time. The total seismicity rate was higher in north Africa, followed by south Africa, east Africa and the least in west Africa. The b-values were determined to to be 0.49 in north Africa, 0.47 in south Africa, 0.69 in east Africa and 1.58 in west Africa. This indicates that a large b-value in a region shows that small earthquakes occur frequently and a small b-value shows that small earthquakes are not so frequent and that large earthquakes are more likely to happen...................................................The energy per unit area per year follows this increasing trend in the order: north Africa - south Africa - east Africa - west Africa. This indicates that the radiated energy is highest in west Africa and lowest in north Africa. The implication of this study is that the regions of study are under stress especially north Africa and the lithospheric plate is gradually becoming unstable.

A Mini Review on Importance in the Implementation of Lean Management in Healthcare

Marcelo Tierra — 2025-07-08

Lean management contributes to pursuit the quality, accessibility and efficiency of healthcare institutions. Its importance of the implementation of lean management in the healthcare sector using different strategies to improve services like: the supply chain in hospitals. In this review was used the model proposed by seuring and gold based on the analyze a sample of articles indexed in Scopus, web of science and also the simulation tool was used to in order to illustrate the approach. After implementation of lean thinking in different hospital in some countries improves the structure, process and outcome of care and management actions and management in healthcare promotes advantages in terms of quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare in hospitals.

Exploring the Fingerprints: A Review

Muniba Butt — 2025-07-08

The principal method for the identification of individuals, in the past, was a fingerprint. It is being applied persistently without ambiguity for profound acknowledgment and has achieved positive responses to date. The subjects like gender determination, identification of forced bribery, flourishing of effective norms of the justice system, analysis of DNA through remaining’s sweat- amino acids and lipids, etc. which are the fundamentals that have augmented the importance of fingerprints. Furthermore, many chemical methods are utilized to improve and augment the scenario of fingerprints and various innovative techniques have been invented in the current period to make it effective. The recognition of fingerprint in various field is playing pivotal role to enhance development mechanism. It is reality that fingerprints are confronting with plenty of challenges but its bright future cannot be curtailed. The importance of fingerprints as well as ethical implication has fostered the ambient of modernization and putting the mechanism of justice at the apex of glory. As fingerprints facing variety of problems specially in the south Asian states for its recognition but it would flourish and will get its effective position.